Railroad-crossing.



A. J. HIGGINS.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 8, 1912.

Patented July 8 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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ABNER JOSEPH HIGGINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1913.

Application filed April 8, 1912. Serial No. 689,236.

To all whom i?? may concern Bc it known that l, Annan J. HIGGINS, a citizen of the UnitedA States, and a resident of the city ot New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county ot Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and linproved Railroad-Crossing, ot which the tollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a railroad crossing, and an object of my invention is to provide at the crossing, a continuous track for cars moving in either direction.

ln the constructions of crossing at present in use, there must be a gap in each track to permit the tiange on the wheels of the car on the crossing track to pass the rails of the other track. rlhis open space causes much jarring as the car moves over the crossing necessarily producing a heavy wearing action on both the rails and wheels.

I attain the object ot my invention by making the portion of each track between the crossing tracks of sliding rails, which are brought into position to one of the crossing tracks of a continuous unbroken rail and simultaneously withdrawing` the parts oi the other track out of line with the continuous track.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingl drawings, forming a part of this specitication, in which similar characters ot reterence indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, and in which- Figure l is a plan view lookingl down upon a preferred embodiment ot my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through one of the tracks and the actuating cam cylinder and taken on the irregular line 3M?) of Fig. l; Fig. l is an enlarged detailed section of one ot' the movable rails; Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view ot t-he actuating cam; and Fig. G is a l'ragiiientary plan view of a portion ot' the crossing foundation.

My improved crossing preferably comprises a foundation plate 7 formed ot two or more pairs ot parallel members, each pair crossing another pair at an angle, and as shown in Fig. G, at right angles to each other. The parallel members of each pair are spaced apart a distance equal to the space between rails, and each member is of a thickness slightly greater than the width of the bottom flange of the rail, integrally connected with each of which members and projecting from the upper side thereof, are spaced-apart pairs ot holding fingers S, which lingers are adapted to overhang the bottom tlange 9 of the sliding rail member l() in order to hold these rails slidably upon the foundation 7. The regular rails l1 of each ot' the pairs forming the track proper, terminate at the crossing.

llounted between the terminated ends ol these rails and of a combined length when telescoped equal to the distance between parallel rails, is a pair ot alined sliding rail members l0, each oit which members has an outer end l2 of a shape adapted to lit the adjacent end of the rail ll, and, as shown in Fig. l, these meeting edges are beveled transversely of the rail. The inner meeting end ott each ot' the members l() is overlapped, and to att'ord a neat sliding joint at this point, the web 13 of each member reduced substantially one-halt ot the thickness ot' the web, as shown more particularly in F 4, so that the two reduced sections le will have a. combined thickness equal to the thickness ot the regular rail. By this construction it will be understood that when the rails are drawn away trom each other, the outer ends will abut the adjacent track to form a continuation of the same, as shown in the rightand lett ails in Fig. l, and as shown in the upper and lower rails, the members l0 may be t-elescoped longitudinally, so as to leave a space between the outer end of each ot these members and the adjacent parallel rail forming the track, so as to aiiord a space to permit the insertion of the transverse continuous track-extending member l0. Referring to the members in their extended position, as shown in the rigl'it and lett rails in F l, it will be noted that the reduced sections lll overlap, as shown at l5, thereby affording a continuous support 'for the wheels passing over the crossing.

It is desirable to simultaneously move the rails ot one track into continuous alinement, and at the same time to move the rails of the other track into position to permit a continuity ot the tirstmentioned ails. (lne means for attaining this means depends upon the engagement of each pair ot sliding ails Vwith a cam cylinder, all of which cylinders being simultaneously actuated from a signal tower or other convenient location.

Extending parallel to each of the members 10 and between the tracks, is a cam shaft 16 suitably mounted in journal supports 17, each end of each of the shafts 16 having a bevel gear 18 meshing with the next adjacent bevel gear 18, so that the four shafts form a quadrilateral connected to move in unison. tigidly mounted centrally upon each of the shafts 16 vis a cam cylinder 19, the face adjacent the members 10 having a Y-shaped cam groove 2O therein, and each of the arms 21 of each groove has slidably positioned therein a pin 22 extending inwardly from the bottom flange 9 of each of the sliding members 10. By this construction it will be seen that the rotation of the shaft in one direction will draw the members of one pair of tracks together, and at the same time, due to the reversed position of the gro-ove 2O in the transversely-dis posed cam cylinder actuating the transversely disposed sliding members, will cause the latter sliding' members to distend.

In order to lock the sliding members in their extended position, as shown at the right and left of Fig. 1, there is provided in each of the lower ianges 9 of the sliding members 10, adjacent the cam cylinder 19, a recess 23, which recess is adapted to be engaged by one of a pair of spaced-apart fingers 24- eXtending outwardly from the periphery of the cam cylinder 19 and positioned adjacent the free end of the arm 21 of the groove 20. By this construction it will be seen that the pin 22, in effect, moves to the outer end of the arm of the groove, and when the pin has reached the limit of its movement, the linger 24 will engage the recess 23, thereby firmly locking the sliding members 10 in engagement with the main rails 11. Any suitable means may be used to rotate the cam shaft 16, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an arm 25 has one end rigidly aixed to one of the cam shafts 16, the opposite end of which arm is connected by a link 26 with one arm of a bell crank lever 27, which bell crank lever is actuated by any suitable reach rod 28 leading to the switch or tower.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A rail having an interrupted portion, a pair of telescoping rail members adapted when distended to bridge said interrupted portion and form a continuous rail, a cam having a Y groove in the side thereof, positioned adjacent each of said telescoping rail members, and a pin projecting from each ot said members, each pin engaged in one of the arms oi' the Y groove, whereby the rotation of said cam will collapse and distend said members relative to each other.

2. A rail having` an interrupted portion, a pair oi' telescoping rail members adapted when distended to bridge said interrupted portion and form a continuous rail, a cam having' a Y groove in the side thereof, positioned adjacent each of said telescoping rail members, a pin projecting from each of said members, each pin engaged in one of the arms of the Y groove, whereby the rotation of said cam will collapse and distend said members relative to each other, and means carried by the cam engaging the telescoping rail members to lock the same in distended position.

3. In a railroad crossing, the combination with a pair of tracks extending at an angle to each other having interrupted portions at the point. of crossing, a pair of rail members tor each of the rails of said tracks, said rail members having' overlapping' portions designed to provide a continuous upper sur- `face and permit a distention and telescopA ing' or collapsing' of the length of the respective rail members, a pin projecting from each of said rail members, and a cam acting on each of said pins for causing said rail members to be collapsed or telescoped and distended at will for causing' the rails of either of said tracks to be continuous.

In testimony whereotl I have signed my name to this specilication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VABNER JOSEPH HIGGINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

